THE EASE & JOY OF MORNINGS (December 2018)

Join Kozan for “Ease and Joy of Mornings,” December 16—a quiet morning designed to introduce you to the art of zazen. It is an ideal entryway for beginners and even intermediate or long-time meditators who want a refresher course on this “dharma gate of joy and ease” as described by Zen Master, Dogen-Zenji.

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as they stay with us from three months to a year. Please support
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EDITOR'S NOTE

What a week of contrasts! At the beginning of the week, Roshi Joan was in Zurich participating in His Holiness the Dalai Lama's engaging, successful Mind and Life Conference on Altruism and Compassion in Economic Systems. By mid-week, however, the earth was rumbling with large earthquakes in Kham, Tibet, the birthplace of His Holiness and the location of a recently built Tibetan Girls School that was destroyed along with many other buildings. Our hearts are with His Holiness and all Tibetans as they struggle to recover from the devastation and loss of life. As with most earthquakes of this magnitude, aid is urgently needed, and you'll find links to several organizations in the articles that follow.

During the same time, Fleet Maull was leading a Bearing Witness Retreat in Rwanda. His blog entry for Day 3 of the retreat describes what it was like to visit the genocide memorials, attend the government ceremonies, and share a special witness council with nine new Rwandan friends. Meanwhile, Roshi Joan was visiting Hiroshima.

We wrap up the articles with one about Ecuador, where officials passed a bill in 2008 to amend their constitution to have "the state recognize and guarantee to vital natural cycles the right to continue and regenerate." In other words, nature now has rights!

In this time when the earth is frequently reminding us it needs help and telling us to pay attention, may you find your own compassionate ways to care for the earth and its people.

April 16 - May 2: SPRING PRACTICE PERIOD: In the Stillness of Calm-Abiding Mind with Sensei Beate Genko Stolte, Co-Abbot; Dyanna Taylor; and Natalie Goldberg. For information and to register click here

April 28 - May 2: GOING TO THE MOVIES: Exposing Reality Through Visual and Written Language with Sensei Beate Genko Stolte, Co-Abbot; Dyanna Taylor; and Natalie Goldberg. For information and to register click here.

PLEASE NOTE: Zazen will not be available at these times on the following dates:

No 12:20 pm zazen for the public on these dates:

April 19, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30May 1, 2

No 5:30 pm zazen for the public on these dates:

April 22, 29, 30May 1, 2

Special Request

Housing for Retreat Guests: Because of limited housing at Upaya, we are requesting that the extended community let us know if you are able to house retreat guests on a donation basis or by renting a room. Please contact Roberta registrar@upaya.org. We really appreciate your generosity.

Sensei Beate Genko Stolte, Spring Practice and Film Retreat

The ecological crisis is doing what no other crisis in history has ever done—challenging us to a realization of a new humanity. —Jean Houston

Apr 16 — May 02: SPRING PRACTICE PERIOD AND FILM SEMINAR, click here. In April, Sensei Beate Stolte leads the Spring Practice Period exploring Zen, "In the Stillness of Calm-Abiding Mind." This will conclude with a powerful film seminar focusing on film as a force for inner and social change.

Have you ever left a movie filled with emotion and inspiration? Did a movie ever make you reflect on your life? How we relate to movies reveals our inner life—the struggles as well as possibilities. Watching films with reflective awareness is a powerful catalyst for transformation. It helps us become aware of the deeper layers of our consciousness and enables us to open new perspectives in how we view our life, our world. Studying a film’s deeper text can empower us to trust our intuition and our vision. Join us for a new retreat using film as a vehicle into the profoundest questions of this human life.

In this innovative program, we will be looking at some of the most powerful documentary and feature films made in the last decade, and will write, meditate, contemplate, share and slow walk to explore insights about the nature of reality, film and mind. We are fortunate that some of the filmmakers will be present in this program. Tuition: Members: $350; Non-members: $385. Includes food, dorm lodging (upgrade available). Dana to teachers.

The ten films shown during the program include short and long, doc and feature films, all award winning and rare. Included in the ten films to be shown are: “The Silent Life of Words” and “Bloodlines”, as well as the extraordinary film “Manufactured Landscape”, winner of the Best Documentary Feature - Toronto Film Critics Association, Best Canadian Feature - Toronto Film Critics Association, Best Canadian Feature - Toronto Film Festival, Best Documentary - Genie Awards, among others.

Sensei Beate's 2010 Teaching Schedule and Links

Here is a complete list of Sensei Beate's teaching schedule for the remainder of 2010 and links to register:

Roshi's News

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. —Albert Einstein

A powerful week for Roshi at the Mind and Life meetings in Zurich with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Richie Davidson, and economists, neuroscientists, and others. Roshi is currently in Japan with Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Upaya participants, at temples and art sites, including Naoshima, the Miho Museum, and the Hiroshima Museum. The serenity of Kyoto's Buddhist temples and gravity of Hiroshima have been moving for her and the group. Even as she is in Japan her heart turns toward Tibet and the earthquake in Kham, and hopes to hear from her associates in the region.

Join Roshi along with executives from Google, Twitter, and Facebook for the first annual Wisdom 2.0 Conference, exploring living with deeper mindfulness, meaning, and wisdom in our technology age. http://wisdom2summit.com

"This compelling, brave, and wise book draws from a lifetime of remarkable work with people at the end of life."—Andrew Weil, MD

"Joan Halifax has a knack for straight talk and sublime insight—a no-holds-barred approach to life's greatest challenge, dying well. This book beckons to those who dare, and those who care; it's a profound and practical guidebook to the inevitable final dance."—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence

Roshi Joan and three close friends, John Madison, Lola Long, and Brother John, made a remarkable Pilgrimage to Mt. Kailash in 1987. They hitchhiked across the Tibetan plateau where Roshi Joan did a retreat in a cave north of Lake Manasarovar. She and her friends circumambulated Mt. Kailash and then hitchhiked back across the plateau. Watch the video here—this is an extraordinary film. Enjoy!

CONNECT WITH ROSHI

Roshi's interest in social networking reflects her early work in anthropology and her Buddhist vision of interconnectedness. Photos

Dharma Talks: The Upaya bookstore has a number of Roshi's dharma talks on DVD. Please call the front office for titles and ordering, 505-986-8518, or email upaya@upaya.org

Tibet: The Chinese filmmaker Kam Sung has made a fascinating and visually poetic account of Roshi Joan in Tibet. A high-resolution version on DVD is now available from Upaya. Email at upaya@upaya.org or call 505-986-8518 to order. See exceptional video of Roshi in Eastern Tibet done by Kam Sung: https://www.createspace.com/267427 to purchase the film or click here to view A CONSTANT PILGRIM

CD

Roshi Joan's 6-CD series on Being with Dying (from Sounds True Audio) is now available. To order, call 505-986-8518 or email: upaya@upaya.org

Workshop at Spirit Rock, May 2: When Death Comes

If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life. For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.—Kahlil Gibran

When Death Comes: A Contemplative Approach to Compassionate Care on Sunday, May 2. Please join Frank Ostaseski and Joan Halifax Roshi for a special workshop from 10 am—5 pm at Spirit Rock. To register, click here.

These two friends and pioneers in contemplative end-of-life care are offering this rare and unique program to share the lessons learned in being with the dying. The day will include dialogue, guided meditations, experiential exercises and an overview of a contemplative approach to care of the dying. This workshop is open to all but may be of particular interest to healthcare professionals, those living with illness or those who anticipate caring for family members or friends facing life-threatening illness.

How do we want to meet our dying...and the death of our loved ones? What are we willing to do to meet death in a peaceful and sane way? According to the wisdom of the Buddha, we can use our lives to prepare for the moment of death. And that same preparation becomes a path for living a more wise and loving life.

The day will be devoted to an exploration of our relationship to death and the qualities that best serve at the time of dying, such as...giving no fear....a calm and loving presence and non-attachment to outcome. The teachers will introduce and work with the three primary practices of not knowing, bearing witness and compassionate action. Joan Halifax Roshi will also introduce the neuroscience research on empathy and compassion, and discuss the five main challenges caregivers face in attending the seriously ill.

Frank Ostaseski is a Buddhist teacher and a leading voice in end-of-life care. In 1987, he co-founded the Zen Hospice Project, the first Buddhist hospice in America. In 2004, he created Metta Institute to offer comprehensive educational programs that reaffirm the spiritual-dimensions of dying. His professional trainings and public programs have introduced thousands to the practices of mindful and compassionate care of the dying. His work has been widely featured in the media including Bill Moyers' On Our Own Terms and the Oprah Winfrey show.

Joan Halifax Roshi is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist and author. She is the founder and abbot of the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe. Roshi has worked in the area of death and dying for over 40 years and is Director of the Project on Being with Dying. Her recent book Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death, is highly acclaimed for its depth and practicality.

Trip to Mongolia: July 2-22, 2010 (Register by May 1)

In the camp itself, beautiful yurts are nestled into a private valley, with cottonwood tree forest nearby and the Teel river a stone's throw away. This is a great place for practitioners and families—for writers, photographers or artists, meditators and yogis or, those who love to read and soak in quiet wilderness.

We can ride and explore and visit forests, rivers, hidden valleys and grasslands, and spend time with nearby nomads. Meals are lively engaged discourse filled with tales and poetry. Daily yoga and meditation practice is encouraged but optional.

You'll experience a rich introduction to the wilderness and nomads of this country. We'll be harvesting medicinal plants with local healers and joining nomads for their annual Nadam festival. We will ride up to the remote and sacred Blue Lake, a special power place for the Mongol pilgrim. You don't have to be an experienced rider to enjoy the horse trip adventure. Our local Mongol horseman have over seven years of experience guiding different levels of horsemanship and watch over us like children.

This trip is a rare and wild time for meditation, practice, poetry, riding, and deep renewal. Led by Carroll Dunham, anthropologist, writer, documentary filmmaker and director of Wild Earth and Thomas Kelly, renowned professional photographer and documentary filmmaker, both of Wild Earth Journeys.

Please Note: Roshi Joan Halifiax will not be going on this trip (a previous newsletter stated that incorrectly).

FEATURE ARTICLES

NNo one imagines that a symphony is supposed to improve in quality as it goes along, or that the whole

Mind and Life XX Conference: Altruism and Compassion in Economic Systems

Excerpts from coverage of the conference April 9-11, 2010

DAY ONE

Today [April 9] was the first day of the Mind and Life XX Conference—Altruism and Compassion in Economic Systems (http://www.compassionineconomics.org) being held in Zurich. The conference...focuses on exploring economic systems that reward fairness and co-operation while at the same time addressing the most urgent societal and environmental issues.

During the lunch break His Holiness the Dalai Lama met with the press where he said, “The recent economic crisis shows money fails to bring inner peace.”

His Holiness spoke about two of his three commitments in life, the first being the promotion of human values and the second the promotion of religious harmony.

His Holiness said that this year marks the 50th Anniversary of Tibetans arriving in Switzerland. He said the Government of India had extended maximum assistance on the Tibetans arrival in India from Tibet. He thanked Switzerland for welcoming Tibetan refugees. "It is our duty to thank the Swiss government, (its) people and in particular the Swiss Red Cross" for assistance to Tibetan refugees since 1960.

The Tibetan spirit is very much alive in Tibet and the community in exile also keeps the same Tibetan spirit alive. The Tibetans in Switzerland are not only good Swiss citizens but carry the Tibetan spirit and contribute to the Swiss Economy.

Below is a summary of the first day proceedings of the Mind and Life XX Conference (courtesy Mind and Life Institute, www.mindandlife.org).

Session 1

After introductory remarks by Adam Engle, CEO and co-founder of the Mind & Life Institute, Rector Andreas Fischer – the President of the University of Zurich – welcomed everyone and introduced His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness then took the stage and said, “I do not know how to make money. But I know it can be useful.”

He relayed a story where he asked one of his business friends about the roots of the current economic crisis, and his friend told him it was greed, possibly even the desire to cheat for profit. “Even I know this is bad for the economic system,” His Holiness said. He also spoke of a wish for all of us to continue striving for enhanced wisdom, and pondered whether the results of this conference may point toward a better direction for economic systems.

Roshi Joan Halifax outlined the direction of the conference and handed it over to the presenters.

Dan Batson, of the University of Kansas, opened with a very direct question – Does altruism exist? After speaking about egoism and empathy, he referenced empathy-based experiments and what they might infer.

Tania Singer, of the University of Zurich, explained two neural routes to understanding others’ minds – via empathy and compassion and via the “theory of mind,” the conscious thinking of someone else’s mental state. After explaining neural networks and their relation to compassionate thoughts and feelings, she talked of how some people have a deficit in comprehending their own feelings. Studies of meditation have been shown to help this deficiency.

Richard Davidson, of the University of Wisconsin, followed up on these ideas and posited two big points – that there are different levels of empathy and compassion in people, which have biological roots, and empathy and compassion can be regarded as skills, which can be trained and enhanced. He then reviewed neuroscientific research in these areas; results showed that subjects who had more extensive mental training had a greater tendency to exhibit signs of altruism.

Matthieu Ricard, of Shechen Monastery, presented last and helped enlighten the audience to Buddhist notions of compassion, empathy and altruism. For example, compassion is the desire to help alleviate suffering in others, whatever it may be.

Session 2

The afternoon session began with Joan Silk of UCLA, who defined altruism biologically, as seen in other species. Research has shown that altruism is common and beneficial in many species. As humans develop during childhood, they trend away from this commonality in other species.

One notable exchange during the conversation with His Holiness went as follows. “Does hostility come from not being connected? For instance, if bees from one colony are mixed with bees from another colony, do they see each other as alien or other?” Joan replied, “There doesn’t seem to be much flexibility in their behaviour, though I do not know much of bees. So the ‘outgroup’ or ‘other’ perspective seems to remain intact.” His Holiness mused, “Does biological altruism require the ability to appreciate others? Mosquitoes, I think, have no appreciation! One may land on me, and I let it feed. But then it flies away and shows no appreciation!”

Ernst Fehr of the University of Zurich then talked about how true altruism in humans is rare, as we normally want or expect benefit for our costs, especially within economics. He defined altruism as actions to benefit an ‘other,’ but at cost to the actor and with no envisioned gain for the actor at the outcome, except possibly psychological benefit like happiness.

Tania Singer then spoke about 3 motivational systems in the human brain: incentive-focused, threat-focused, and non-wanting-affiliation-focused. She talked of experiments to increase trust among individuals.

John Dunne, of Emory University, explained compassion and altruism from the Buddhist perspective as they might relate to economics. One of the ultimate goals is happiness, so what are the costs and resources needed to attain that goal? The resources are internal, and thus of the highest value. If we can realign our priorities to focus on maintaining and enhancing our internal resources, we may see a shift toward a better economic system.

He spoke of a Buddhist technique of internalizing the idea that all sentient beings were at some point your mother in a previous life; you can extend the feeling or connection you have with your mother to all beings. “Not that everyone has the greatest connection with their mother, but you understand what I mean,” John said. “I had a GOOD mother, though, just to be clear.” “So did I,” laughed His Holiness.

So, today was a ground-laying time of concepts and large ideas, setting us up for tomorrow, which will start exploring possibilities of where we go and of applied economics to further some of these ideas.

DAY TWO

Session 3

“What are the recent most important findings from economic research which help us to understand how cooperation, how decision-making and pro-social behavior work?” This is how Gert Scobel of 3sat opened the introduction to Session 3 on Day 2.

Lord Richard Layard of the London School of Economics, after discussing different situations where competition or cooperation would be more appropriate, talked about how increased wealth does not correlate with increased happiness. Many people are stuck in a world of ‘social comparisons,’ where status is more important than being economically comfortable. He emphasized that while wealth is increasing, mental health is on the decline; and to combat this he introduced the Movement for Happiness to try to both increase happiness and reduce misery in the world. The Dalai Lama agreed to support the movement – “But don’t expect money!”

His Holiness asked, “Why is it that I’ve seen studies where the level of happiness is higher in Cuba than in the United Kingdom?” Lord Layard said that it may result from greater cooperation among the members of Cuba’s society, a necessity in such a poor country. Lord Layard polled the audience to see if they thought that people in general can be trusted. Overwhelmingly the answer was yes. His Holiness laughed, “In this hall, the people are very good, very trusting. People outside this hall, I don’t know!”

Later His Holiness remarked, “The G7, the G20, none of these groups are focused on happiness. We need more cooperation based on trust, on respect, on love. ‘I need you.’ We must base our interactions on that idea. ‘I want happiness, and I need you. We need they. You must first extend your hand to others; you cannot wait for people to come to you for cooperation. This is most important.”

William Harbaugh of the University of Oregon started by explaining how current economic systems have self-correcting measures built in. Self-interest is a reliable strategy as goods are produced and distributed; and as rules are enforced to prevent one from harming others, the threat of punishment will keep actors in line, serving their self-interest. Welfare of the poor is not a market good, it is a public good. We should develop ‘warm-glow’ altruism to gain both external profit for those in need of the public good and internal profit by getting neural benefit. Pure altruism, where nothing is gained, may not work in an economic system; but ‘warm-glow’ altruism, where you know it will produce a feeling of satisfaction by directly helping others, is very effective and will compel people to want to do it again.

“What does altruism do for us?” Ernst Fehr asked as he returned to the stage. Public goods, as he defined, can be consumed by all members of a group, regardless of whether they contribute to them. Democratic liberty, the environment, etc. – these are examples of public goods. There is an undersupply of public goods in the world if people act selfishly.

“Why do people start out acting altruistically, especially in these trust experiment games you perform?” asked His Holiness. “Many people start out very optimistic about others, but after witnessing selfishness in others, their altruism diminishes to the point where it almost ceases to exist,” replied Ernst. How can we solve this problem? Altruistic sanctioning of non-cooperation – the ability to punish those who act selfishly and harm others. Once it is introduced into the arena, cooperation immediately soars and becomes almost universal.

Session 4

Antoinette Hunziker-Ebneter, CEO of Forma Futura Invest Inc., declared that we, all of us, are responsible for our economic system, and the problems that arise out of it. Do we want to create a better system, with more sustainable outcomes, with more focus on people’s good, rather than materialism and selfishness?

People are starting to question investment strategies to find stocks that coincide with their personal worldview. We are seeing a shift from a desire for quantity to quality, from pure profit to profit with a purpose. Intangible benefits need more prominence such as health, freedom of choice, etc. Revolution, rather than evolution, is necessary, as time is not in our favor to wait for the sustainable financial system to organically arise. Part of the solution is to invest in the companies that support our endgoal of compassion and altruism.

“I think human intelligence can and should be applied to working on solutions like this,” remarked His Holiness. “Material development can only grow so far, so there should eventually be a sense of contentment with where we end up. However, mental development should never be content.”

Arthur Vayloyan, of Credit Suisse, asked, “What can a bank do to help reduce poverty in the world?” Microfinance (not just microcredit) is part of the solution; it is defined as providing all basic, classical financial services for the poor.

From his team’s beginning, investing in very small projects such as a woman in Cambodia who started with a loan of $13, Credit Suisse and other institutions have helped bring the size of microfinance to current global investments of about $45 billion. But aid alone, especially from governments and NGOS, will not do the job; throwing money at a problem without a very clear strategy will only pollute the problem. No one believed that this sort of venture would work. Arthur quoted Nelson Mandela – “It always seems impossible until it is done.”

Sanjit “Bunker” Roy conveyed his inspiring personal story with his time. After an expensive education, he was inspired to abandon the prospects of a well-to-do life upon visiting a poor village for the first time. He started the Barefoot College, an institution built by the poor, staffed by the poor, and dedicated to the education of the poor. No one with formal education is allowed. The policy is to visit destitute villages around the world, searching for people to train to become solar engineers. Only women are allowed. “Because we have found men are untrainable.” Bunker asked if His Holiness agreed with this conclusion. “Yes,” he said. “I am a lost cause.”

Grandmothers, in particular, are ideal for this. At the Barefoot College, they are taught by sign language and by example how to build, repair, and maintain solar panels. “With solar panels, the Indian women we train are so precise, not like normal Indian women. They are not always so precise.” His Holiness joked, “Also Tibetan women!” After they are ready, they return to the village and install units around their village, at the cost of $2 per month. This has allowed the solar electrification of 600 villages in India alone.

“Real transformation comes from villages and projects like this. Change must come from the bottom,” His Holiness mused. Responding to a question about how this will affect migration to urban areas, Bunker said, “Develop the quality of life in villages, and this will prevent people from moving away to the cities.”

Matthieu Ricard finished the session with a brief few comments about humanitarian work. It is growing everywhere, especially on small scale projects. Non-government organizations can tease altruistic cooperation out of the groups and cultures they touch. They should confederate to continue and increase this very important work.

DAY THREE

Session 5

The final session of ML XX began with Roshi Joan Halifax quoting His Holiness from years ago “Compassion is not a luxury, it is a necessity for human beings to survive.” Moving on to the sole formal presentation of the session, William George of Harvard Business School spoke of compassionate, authentic leadership. In his view it is essential for a healthy society. He sees the global financial mess not as an economic failure, but a spiritual failure; people’s desire for more and more satisfaction derived from materialism led down a path of greed and destruction. There is a loss of confidence in our leaders today, but failures in leadership ultimately come from leaders who place their self-interest ahead of others, inevitably causing great damage.

However, on the bright side, we are seeing the emergence of a new type of leadership, and this growing style is no longer based on ‘Top Down’ management – it is based on empowerment. The job of a leader is to serve, not to exert brute authority. The mission of organizations should be to serve society, not shareholders, according to Mr. George. Over the long term, this is what sustains performance.

But leaders are not born or made, they are developed. Bill asked the Dalai Lama, “How do you think we can develop more leaders?” His Holiness replied, “I believe it comes from the training of inner values. Which many of you out there may already know, but you may not be fully convinced. I think mainly education will help development. With proper thought, we can make education and other fields develop more compassionate people. Even Hitler didn’t start out evil from birth; it was his development and the circumstances of his life that allowed him to become who he was. Though the media in Jerusalem made it sound like I called him a ‘positive person’ when I first said this.”

His Holiness continued, “You should spread these ideas about this type of leadership through talks, to the media, so that they are well known. Make a list of the qualities that this leader would have and list them ‘A, B, C, and so on.’ And then when people go to elections, they can take this list and judge who their leaders might be based on this list!”

Richard Davidson returned to the stage and took a moment to thank His Holiness for making this twentieth Mind & Life dialogue possible. “This could never have happened with anyone else. No other world leader has spent so much time in dialogue with scientists,” he said to commanding applause. “Well, I don’t have a country to run,” joked His Holiness. “I have been quite free!” Thupten Jinpa chimed in, “He does it partly to pass the time!” After summarizing the first session’s scientific findings, he said, “Over these sessions, we’ve seen that in practice as well as in basic research that there are distinct gender differences when it comes to altruism and compassion. Why do you think that is?”

“I think the neurons are the same, organs are the same,” His Holiness mused after a moment. “The Buddha would have wanted to give equal opportunities to men and women. Discrimination has often been in the way of equality. Masculine traits have been associated as strength. Feminine is wisdom. We must develop toward a mother-centered being; she would be the ultimate source of affection. Over this meeting we have been learning that women biologically have more sensitivity to this. Throughout evolution, leadership only came recently, when groups evolved to become more complex. Power stepped in and kept stability, which pushed education and compassion to more secondary roles.”

“I’ve learned much from living in India – liberty, democracy,” he continued. “Because so many of the thoughts and ideas I have had developed while in India, I now consider myself a son of India. Which always irritates my bosses in China!” He also said that intelligence alone is not enough; we need more compassion. Education will help bring equality to males and females. Women should take more of the active leadership roles. “Although,” he quipped, “some females – not so compassionate!”

Ernst Fehr thought of some challenges for the future. “What in Buddhism could be translated to the context of this conference?” he asked His Holiness.

“It is clear that we need different religions,” began the Dalai Lama’s response. “They have different perspectives but produce similar effects. A Muslim friend told me how a true practitioner must love all living creatures. We have to tackle the root cause of the problems in economic systems. We must recognize secular ethics.

There is Buddhist science, Buddhist philosophy and Buddhist religion. Leave out the religion and look at the Buddhist science. Buddhism brings the necessity of compassion to social sciences. Your happiness is related to others’ happiness. All interconnected. Buddhist science provides better knowledge about emotion.” He continued, “However, we should respect all religions; do not try to convert people. Respect. Is Buddhism useful for economics in society? No. But take the values and perspectives of a religious person, and utilize that.”

His Holiness thanked everyone for such an important conference, and he expressed how encouraged he felt with what had been discussed. This ended Mind & Life XX. By all accounts, there were great dialogues, very insightful research presentations, examples of real world economic compassion and happiness with how it all intertwined. Tashi Delek!

—From Conference Website

Earthquake in Kham, Tibet; Girls School Destroyed

Heartbreaking news this week about a series of earthquakes — including one of 6.9 magnitude — that struck Kham, Tibet (a Chinese/Tibetan border region).

The quakes were centered in Yushu county, in the southern part of Qinghai — a mountainous region in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham. How to help: Here is a key organization delivering aid: http://www.machik.org/; see link below to help Tibet Girls School.

Recipient of "Women and Engaged Buddhism Award" Impacted by Earthquake

The following news release relates to the recipient of The 2010 Women and Engaged Buddhism Award—the Tibet Girls School, a project of The Tsogyaling Meditation Center of Evanston. We just learned that this morning's earthquake in Yushu county of Eastern Tibet destroyed the school and that the founders lost family members in the disaster.

The Award will be presented at the 5th Annual Buddhist Women's Conference on May 1, 2010 in Chicago. Following is the press release from the founders:

An earthquake reported at a magnitude of 6.9 hit Yushu county high in the Himalayas of Eastern Tibet on the morning of April 14 th. The powerful quake killed at least 400 people, injured 10,000 and left many others buried under debris. Tibet Girls School founder and executive director, Asang, has learned not only that he has lost family members in the disaster, but that the school was destroyed and several students are dead or missing.

The urgent priority now is to raise money to help care for survivors and rebuild their homes and schools. Donations can be made on the web site for Tsogyaling Meditation Center of Evanston and Tibet Girls School at www.evanstonmeditation.org. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law and 100% of funds collected will go to rebuilding in Tibet. Checks can also be made out to “Tsogyaling Meditation Center” and mailed to Tibet Girls School, c/o Heartwood Center, 1599 Maple Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201.

Home to Nomad yak herding and farming families, this remote mountainous region is where Asang calls home. Asang escaped from Tibet shortly after his sister and her baby died during delivery. Along with his wife, Nancy Floy, the school was meant to honor his sister and all the women at risk by offering the key to health and opportunity: education. As survival has now become the more critical need, the school’s board of directors and the community will be putting all of their efforts toward rebuilding homes and lives in Eastern Tibet.

Tibetan women in this area — also called the Nangchen region — typically have as many as six to 10 children, yet the region has one of the highest mortality rates for infants and mothers during pregnancy and childbirth. Education is the key to health and opportunity. While rebuilding homes and lives is critical right now, the goal will be to reopen the school and provide girls with these opportunities which will be needed more than ever. In just two short years, students at Tibet Girls School were reading and writing and planning careers in business, teaching and medicine.

About the Tibet Girls School

Recipient of the 2010 Women and Engaged Buddhism Award, the Tibet Girls School for girls ages 14 to 20 was opened in 2008 to help Nomad yak herding families provide more opportunities for the next generation. Teachers provide healthcare information, especially the use of birth control. The students are taught sewing, weaving and other handicrafts, as well as business and computer skills. The girls cook for themselves as they learn Chinese, math, reading and writing in the Tibetan language. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. The Tibet Girls School is a program of the Tsogyaling Meditation Center of Evanston. For more information about the school, visit www.evanstonmeditation.org.

Dalai Lama Seeks To Visit Quake-ravaged Area of China

The Dalai Lama is seeking to visit the Tibetan region rocked by a deadly earthquake this week.

In a statement issued Saturday from Dharamsala, the northern Indian town where he lives, the religious leader said the devastated region is where he was born and that he wants to go there to help people cope with the tragedy.

"To fulfill the wishes of many of the people there, I am eager to go there myself to offer them comfort," said the Dalai Lama,

who went into exile in 1959 after an aborted Tibetan rebellion against Chinese rule. "The Tibetan community in exile would like to offer whatever support and assistance it can towards the relief work. We hope to be able to do this through the proper and appropriate channels as soon as possible."

The magnitude 6.9 quake struck the country's Tibetan region on Wednesday. Rescuers have been working around the clock to pull survivors from the rubble. The death toll from the earthquake reached 1,484 late Saturday, according to relief officials quoted by China's official Xinhua news agency. Xia Xueping, a rescue official, said 312 remain missing and 12,088 were injured, with 1,394 of them in serious condition.

The powerful quake struck the impoverished county of Yushu in China's Qinghai province. It toppled about 15,000 homes in and around Yushu, and caused more than 100,000 people to flee the area.

In Jiegu, the town closest to the epicenter, people were taken to a sporting field serving as a makeshift hospital; there are no hospitals in the town. More than 85 percent of Jiegu's poorly constructed mud and brick houses collapsed. On Saturday, monks there chanted Buddhist prayers as hundreds of victims were cremated on a hillside.

Ethnic Tibetans have accused Chinese soldiers of not doing enough to help in the immediate aftermath of the quake, an allegation the Chinese government denies. But the Dalai Lama on Saturday praised Chinese authorities for visiting the predominantly ethnic Tibetan region. He singled out Prime Minister Wen Jiabao for offering comfort to people in the region and overseeing the relief efforts. He also said he appreciates the freedom given to the media to report on the quake and its aftermath.

The Dalai Lama wanted to visit victims of the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan that killed about 70,000 people, but he wasn't allowed to visit China. He visited Taiwan last year when it was struck by a typhoon. As for Tibet, the Dalai Lama said that "because of the physical distance between us, at present I am unable to comfort those directly affected, but I would like them to know I am praying for them."

Qinghai province in northwestern China is home to about 5 million people and is considered a gateway to Himalayan Tibet. About half its people are Han Chinese, but the area is home to more than 40 ethnic groupings, including Tibetans, Hui and Mongols. "I appeal to governments, international aid organizations and other agencies to extend whatever assistance they can to enable the families of those devastated by this tragedy to rebuild their lives," the religious leader said.

—From CNN

Roshi Joan in Hiroshima, Sensei Fleet in Rwanda

Going to shrine island across from Hiroshima today. Pilgrimage to mountain top to offer for all those who have died in past and present wars. Hiroshima, heart broken open by all I have seen and heard, in this tragic and remarkable place. To see the Japanese kids ringing the peace bell, gaze at the photos of the destruction, look into the drawings of the hibakusha........no words, only the deep aspiration for peace on this earth for all in this lifetime.

After our morning small group councils, in which our Rwandan friends are getting more comfortable sharing their hearts each day, we travelled by bus to the closing ceremonies of the official government commemoration week, which took place on Rivero hill, a memorial site where the moderate politicians, including the Prime Minister, who supported the Arusha peace process were murdered in 1994 by the hardliners who perpetrated the genocide.

We were special guests of the organizers, the National Commission on Unity and Reconciliation, sitting just behind the dignitary section. The outdoor memorial with individual graves of the politicians and a number of mass graves of another 14,000 victims who were murdered in Kigali hospitals breathtaking, situated on a long sloping lawn looking out over Kigali, the valley and surrounding lush green, verdant hills.

Beautiful white tents lined with white and purple bunting (purple for mourning and white for hope), surrounded the memorial on three sides, and there were at least four thousand people in attendance at this nationally televised event. Banners on flags whipped in the wind. The guest of honor was the President of the Senate. There was a wreath laying ceremony and several speeches interspersed with musical presentations. At one point the army band played “taps,” which was heart breaking and beautiful.

The President of IBUKA, one of our partner organizations and the main umbrella NGO for all the survivors organizations and projects in Rwanda gave a very tough speech warning of the activities of genocide perpetrators still active outside of Rwanda, reorganizing their forces in the Congo along the border with Rwanda and finding support for their activities in a number of European countries. He called on the international community to stop tolerating and supporting these elements and their ideology of genocide.

The Minister of Culture and Sports who also spoke at Nyanza the night I addressed the gathering there, gave a stirring speech calling on current and aspiring politicians to transcend the politics of personal ambition and special interests and to instead embrace political office as a vocation in service of all the people of Rwanda.

The President of the Senate also gave a strong speech, calling on all Rwandans to continue the work of healing trauma and supporting survivors, while continuing to fight the ideology of separation and genocide. He stated clearly that Rwanda would not be dragged back into genocide by these terrorist elements operating from the Congo and elsewhere and assured everyone that the same army that liberated Rwanda from the genocide perpetrators would protect the country from any attempts by these groups to incite new instability or genocide in Rwanda.

After enjoying our box lunches at the IBUKA offices at the Nyanza memorial site nearby, we headed out into the countryside to visit two churches that are important genocide memorial sites, Ntama and Nyamata.

At Ntama, a small mud walled church where almost 20,000 Tutsis were murdered, the clothing of the victims hangs from the walls and rafters and the skulls and bones of the victims are arranged on racks. Otherwise, the church has been left as it was found. In one room, there is a 5 feet high and five feet wide blood stained areal on the wall where the genocide perpetrators smashed children’s heads against the wall.

At Nyamata, a much larger Catholic church, the pews are covered with the clothing of the victims and on the altar lay a collection of machetes and other traditional weapons used to murder the victims. We climbed down into one of the mass graves where thousands of skulls and tens of thousands of bones lay on rows of racks, five racks high. Climbing down into that mass grave felt like descending into hell, until I managed to focus on the fact that each of these skulls was that of an innocent human being who perished at the hands of the genocide perpetrators.

I just stood there underground amidst the racks of skulls and bones and tried my best to open my heart to all those beings, praying for their release, as well as the healing of the survivors and the transformation of their murderers. 18,000 were murdered in this church, but about 45,000 are interred there, all victims from the church or the surrounding areas.

We spent considerable time in silent prayer and contemplation with the remains of the murdered Tutsis, and then laid a wreath on top of one of the mass graves. We spent about an hour with a survivor of the 1992 genocide, a trial run apparently. He gave us a detailed account of the events leading up to the 1994 massacre at this church and the massacre itself. Scholars now agree that the 1994 genocide had been planned and prepared for since as early as 1959 by Hutu hardliners and extremists.

Somehow on the hour long ride back to Kigali, we managed to recover our energy and spirits, engaging in conversation and song with each other. At the guesthouse, we held our evening council with the whole group. We are now nine international participants and nine Rwandan participants (several more Rwandans may join us tomorrow for the rest of the retreat).

We really have no idea what the Rwandans are experiencing as we visit the memorial sites on this retreat, but we know their experience is much different from ours. Many of our new Rwandan friends lost most of their family in the genocide. Because of this, we decided to do a witness council this evening with the nine Rwandan participants sitting in an inner circle doing council practice, while we sat in the outer circle witnessing. Our Rwandan friends did one round of council with each other speaking in Kinyarwanda, their native tongue. We had no idea what they were saying, but it was clear that this was a liberating experience for them to be able to share in the council format in their own language.

We then formed a large circle and did another round in English. Tomorrow morning we leave early by bus for Murambe, a memorial site 3.5 hours from Kigali. It is another major genocide site and powerful memorial and museum. We are deep, deep into the plunge at this point. Not knowing and bearing witness are inescapable.

Earth Day Exclusive: Eduardo Galeano

Nature knows full well that even the best human laws treat her as a piece of property, never as a holder of rights. But the revindication of nature is under way in Latin America.

Nature Is Not Mute

The world is painting still-lifes, forests are dying, the poles are melting, the air is becoming unbreatheable, and the water undrinkable, flowers are food and becoming increasingly plastic, and the sky and earth are going absolutely insane. At the same time, a country in Latin America, Ecuador, is debating a new constitution that opens up the possibility for the first time ever of recognizing the rights of nature.

Nature has a lot to say, and it has long been time for us, her children, to stop playing deaf. Maybe even God will hear the cry rising from this Andean country and add an eleventh amendment, which he left out when he handed down instructions from Mount Sinai: ‘‘Love nature, which you are a part of.’’

An Object that Wants to Be a Subject

For thousands of years, almost all people had only the right not to have rights. In reality, quite a few remain without rights today, but at least now the right to have rights is recognized, and this is considerably more than a gesture of charity by the masters of the world to comfort their servants.

And nature? In a way it could be said that human rights extend to nature because she is not a postcard meant to be viewed from afar. But nature knows full well that even the best human laws treat her as a piece of property, never as a holder of rights. Reduced to no more than a source of natural resources and good deals, she can legally be gravely wounded and even exterminated without her complaints being heard, and there is no law preventing those who harm her from acting with impunity. At the most, in the best of cases, it is the human victims who can demand a more or less symbolic indemnity, and this will always come after the damage has been done, though the law neither prevents nor deters assaults on the earth, water, and air.

It sounds odd, doesn’t it, that nature could have rights? Sheer madness. As if nature were a person. And yet it sounds perfectly normal in the United States that major businesses take advantage of human rights. In 1886, the U.S. Supreme Court, that model of universal justice, extended human rights to private corporations. They were recognized as having the same rights as people, the right to life, free expression, privacy, and all the rest, as if companies could breathe. More than 120 years have passed since then and it is still the same. Nobody has paid attention to it.

Cries and Whispers

There is nothing odd or abnormal about the bill that would include the rights of nature in the constitution of Ecuador. This country has suffered repeated devastation over its history. To give just one example, for more than a quarter of a century, until 1992, the Texaco oil company vomited 18,000 gallons of poison into the rivers, land, and the people. Once this gesture of beneficence in the Ecuadorian Amazon was completed, the company, which was born in Texas, was married to Standard Oil. By then Rockefeller’s Standard Oil had changed its name to Chevron and was being run by Condoleezza Rice. Afterwards, a pipeline carried Condoleezza to the White House, while the Chevron-Texaco family continued to pollute the world.

But the wounds cut into the body of Ecuador by Texaco and other companies are not the only source of inspiration for this great juridical innovation that some are trying to carry forward. Moreover, and this is equally important, the revindication of nature is part of a process of recuperating some of the most ancient traditions of Ecuador and all of Latin America. The bill under consideration would have the state recognize and guarantee to vital natural cycles the right to continue and regenerate. It is not by chance that the constituent assembly started by identifying their objectives of national growth with the ideal of ‘‘sumak kausai,” which means ‘‘harmonious life’’ in Quechua: harmony among people and between us and nature, which engendered us, feeds us, shelters us, and which has her own life and values independent of us.

These traditions remain miraculously alive despite the heavy legacy of racism, which in Ecuador, as in the rest of the Americas, continues to mutilate reality and memory. And it isn’t just the patrimony of its large indigenous population, which knew how to perpetuate them over the five centuries of prohibition and scorn. They belong to the whole country, and the entire world, these voices from the past that help us to divine another possible future.

Since the days when the sword and the cross made their way into the Americas, the European conquest punished the adoration of nature, which was seen as the sin of idolatry, with the punishments of whipping, hanging, and burning. The communion between nature and people, a pagan custom, was abolished in the name of God and later in the name of Civilization. Throughout the Americas, and the world, we are paying the consequences of this divorce.

UPDATE AFTER ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN: On September 28, 2008, the people of Ecuador voted by an overwhelming majority (64%) to approve the new constitution.

Ecuador [is] the first country in the world to codify a new system of environmental protection based on rights,” says Thomas Linzey, Executive Director of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund. The following clauses will be included in the constitution that [was] submitted to a countrywide vote.

Chapter: Rights for Nature

Art. 1. Nature or Pachamama, where life is reproduced and exists, has the right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, structure, functions and its processes in evolution. Every person, people, community or nationality, will be able to demand the recognitions of rights for nature before the public organisms. The application and interpretation of these rights will follow the related principles established in the Constitution.

Art. 2. Nature has the right to an integral restoration. This integral restoration is independent of the obligation on natural and juridical persons or the State to indemnify the people and the collectives that depend on the natural systems. In the cases of severe or permanent environmental impact, including the ones caused by the exploitation on non renewable natural resources, the State will establish the most efficient mechanisms for the restoration, and will adopt the adequate measures to eliminate or mitigate the harmful environmental consequences.

Art. 3. The State will motivate natural and juridical persons as well as collectives to protect nature; it will promote respect towards all the elements that form an ecosystem.

Art. 4. The State will apply precaution and restriction measures in all the activities that can lead to the extinction of species, the destruction of the ecosystems or the permanent alteration of the natural cycles. The introduction of organisms and organic and inorganic material that can alter in a definitive way the national genetic patrimony is prohibited.

Art. 5. The persons, people, communities and nationalities will have the right to benefit from the environment and form natural wealth that will allow wellbeing. The environmental services are cannot be appropriated; its production, provision, use and exploitation, will be regulated by the State.

“Public organisms” in Article 1 means the courts and government agencies, i.e., the people of Ecuador would be able to take action to enforce nature rights if the government did not do so.

—By Eduardo Galeano, a Uruguayan writer and journalist, the author of “The Open Veins of Latin America,” “Memories of Fire,” and “Mirrors/An Almost Universal History.” 2008—Update: Climate and Capitalism Ecosocialism or Barbarism: There is no third way, September, 2008

Upaya Volunteers at Interfaith Shelter

Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little. —Buddha

Last week, Upaya residents and chaplains volunteered their services to the Interfaith Shelter in Santa Fe. For three evenings, delicious and healthy food was prepared, delivered, and served to the Shelter community. Each night, eight Upaya volunteers either cooked and served or checked-in and greeted the many guests. The evening did not end until close to 9 pm on each of these nights, allowing our Upaya volunteers to socialize and interact with the Shelter guests. We plan to continue this service next year.

Here is what the Interfaith Shelter folks witnessed. "Those of us who were present at the Shelter during your hospitality were bowled over by how every member of your group interacted with guests, joining them for conversation over dinner and generally making them feel 'at home.' The Interfaith Board looks forward to partnering with Upaya again next year."

The Upaya Scholarship Fund: Donations Appreciated

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. —Lao Tzu

Your donation to The Upaya Scholarship Fund will provide students of all ages and backgrounds with the means to participate in our programs and retreats. Please help support those in need by contributing to the fund. Throughout the year, we receive many requests for financial assistance and would love to be able to meet everyone’s needs. With your generous donation we will be able to reach out more.

Monetary donations can be made by phone, mail, or online. International donations can be made securely online using PayPal. By phone we accept cash, check MasterCard and Visa. Please click here to make a donation.

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can give!

First Annual Wisdom 2.0 Conference Starts April 30

This conference is a three-day event that brings together technology leaders from companies such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter, along with Zen teachers, neuroscientists, and others to explore how we can live in greater balance with, and more successfully use, the great technologies of our age.

The first two days is a single-track format that includes talks, interviews, and panel discussions. The third day, held at Google, is a participant-directed unconference and networking day. Join us for this unique conference exploring vital issues of our time. Hosted by Soren Gordhamer

The conference will be held in Silicon Valley April 30-May 1st, and will feature a wide range of speakers, including Meng Tan, Head of the School of Personal Growth at Google; Greg Pass, Vice President of Engineering at Twitter; Sounds True owner, Tami Simon, and many more. You'll find more information on the conference website.

Upaya's Buddhist Chaplaincy Program

Based on the work of the late Francisco Varela and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, this visionary two-year program brings together science, systems theory, practice, and humanism in a powerful way with Roshi Joan Halifax, Roshi Bernie Glassman, Sensei Fleet Maull, Father John Dear, Rabbi Malka Drucker, Jimmy Santiago Baca, and an exceptional faculty next year.

Note that the cohort for this year is full. Please apply early for the training beginning in March 2011. In 2011 faculty will include Roshi Bernie Glassman, among others.

Path of Service and Other Ways to Be at Upaya

Good for the body is the work of the body, and good for the soul is the work of the soul, and good for either is the work of the other. —Henry David Thoreau

There are many ways to be at Upaya...come for a personal retreat, volunteer your time, or apply for our Work Exchange or Path of Service Program. Upaya is a place of practice and service.

Path of Service: Upaya is accepting applications for our Path of Service resident program, inviting practitioners to live and serve here from three months to a year or more. For more information and to apply click here or contact: pos@upaya.org

This is a wonderful way to give of your energy, deepen your Buddhist practice, and be in a thriving sangha. Enjoy and learn from the opportunity to receive zen teachings from Roshi Joan Halifax, Sensei Beate Genko Stolte and many other extraordinary teachers; hear weekly seminars and dharma talks; have dokusan with Sensei Beate, and experience the deep joy of living in community.

Personal Retreat/Guest Practitioner: Quiet, still, peaceful—Upaya is a special place in the spring with intimate rooms, kiva fireplaces, and breathtaking views. Spend some time here and find your own rhythm as a personal retreatant. To learn more about enjoying a peronal retreat at Upaya or coming as a guest practitioner, please contact Roberta at 505-986-8518 X12, registrar@upaya.org or click here.

Volunteer at our front desk, kitchen, garden or in housekeeping. Our volunteer program is intended for people who wish to contribute to Upaya and spend time working with the resident sangha; it is non-residential. For those who have the financial need, volunteer hours can be exchanged for retreat participation. In that case, a $10 hourly rate is credited for your work, and a maximum of 80% of the tuition may be earned and must be earned in advance of the event. Contact Roberta 505-986 8518, ext 12 or registrar@upaya.org.

Engaged Buddhism at Upaya

When we bear witness, when we become the situation — homelessness, poverty, illness, violence, death — the right action arises by itself. We don’t have to worry about what to do.—Bernie Glassman

There are so many ways we can serve our communities. Please read on for information on Upaya's service programs on homelessness, caring for the sick and those in prison, as well as our "Upaya Compassionate Action Network."

You may be interested in signing up for Bearing Witness, a free monthly online newsletter for Socially Engaged Buddhism in the West created by Zen Peacemakers founder, Bernie Glassman. Recent articles have included "Social Intelligence" by Daniel Goleman and "Working at the Margins" by Zayda Vallejo. NOTE: Roshi Bernie returns to Upaya in August, 2011, teaching in Upaya's chaplaincy training.

Metta Refuge Council: Tuesday, 9:45 a.m., a meeting for people who are ill, their caregivers, hospice volunteers, nurses, and those interested in exploring issues around sickness, aging, and death. Beginning around 11:20 a.m. until 12:05 p.m. the group engages in contemplative writing as a way to explore what is present for people in the moment. No writing experience is needed. For more information, please contact Susan Benjamin at ArtTherapy@aol.com. For details: http://www.upaya.org/action/caring.php

TheUpaya Prison Project serves prison residents at Santa Fe County Adult Detention Center and the Penitentiary of New Mexico. New volunteers are starting training to work "inside", teach stress management through meditation, simple yoga, and confidential conversation in a protected place. More volunteers are needed to teach life skills and social skills. If this interests you, email Ray Olson at nanrayols@aol.com.

UCAN! is the Upaya Compassionate Action Network. Every season, UCAN highlights a social or political issue, gives background on that issue from a spiritual perspective, and suggests a way that you can translate your insights into skillful action. The current focus is immigration. To learn more, please click here.

Upaya is now a member of the Interfaith Leadership Alliance of Santa Fe. Residents, Chaplaincy Students, and staff are collaborating with this critical community organization in addressing the needs of those who are homeless in our community. We are donating time and resources to the Winter Overflow Shelter currently located at the old Pete's Pets building on Cerrillos. Sangha members are all welcome to participate on Upaya's behalf how, where, and when possible. If interested, please contact Natalie Calia at Natalie@upaya.org or call 505-986-8518 ext 17.

Please help support our projects by making a donation to Upaya Zen Center for the Metta Program or Upaya Prison Project. We are deeply grateful for any donation.

Prajna Mountain Forest Refuge

To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.—Terry Tempest Williams

A place of deep quiet and vastness, simplicity and hermit practice. Contact Marty for information mpeale@newmexico.com Volunteer cooks invited: June, July, August. We are very interested in hosting volunteers — “Friends of the Refuge” — in two categories:

Skilled workers we know (at no charge)

Skilled workers we haven’t met before (with references, one week at no charge)

There is no group meditation practice at the Refuge. Individuals do their own solo practice, hermit style. A few indoor beds but mostly camping in the gorgeous green meadows and forests. Outhouse, simple bathing facilities, camp kitchen with wood stove.

Become a Member of Upaya

Your membership gives so much to Upaya, and we in turn offer free podcasts, daily practice, teachings, our weekly newsletter, videos, and service to the homeless, those in prisons and at the end of life. We invite you to become a member of Upaya

and support all that happens in this unique place of practice.For less than the cost of an evening out, your monthly donation will make a real difference in sustaining Roshi's work, Sensei Beate's teachings, and Upaya's existence.